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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · degree · squash · scale · chip · branch · row · lean

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. degree — from a university
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — temperature
  16. branch — a division
  17. squash — to crush
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — thin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com